The present invention relates generally to electronic notification systems, and more particularly, to an electronic system and method for providing an alert of an entry in a to-do list when a user is within a pre-defined proximity location to perform the to-do list item.
In today""s fast-paced world, xe2x80x9cefficiencyxe2x80x9d is a motto adopted by many people. Such efficiency does not only apply to the work place, but also to every-day living. As the tasks that need to be accomplished within a day grow in number, and the amount of time in a day to accomplish such tasks seem to decrease, it becomes more and more important to efficiently manage one""s time and plan the tasks that need to be accomplished within that time in a practical and organized manner. The amount of planning carried out by an individual as the order in which to accomplish the tasks efficiently become futile if the individual forgets the order or a task to be accomplished.
Thus, various devices exist in the prior art to aid individuals in the organization and reminder of tasks. For instance, personal notes and post-its placed on refrigerator doors, calendars, and the like, help remind individuals of tasks to be accomplished in a day. Schedule books and personal organizers also help individuals keep track of time-sensitive tasks and appointments. If electronic calendars and organizers are used, users may be electronically notified via the device""s alarm or notification process when it is time to carry out a particular task or appointment.
If a task is not time-sensitive, users often place such a task in a separate to-do list. Typical tasks entered into a to-do list include, for example, buying an article X at store A, an article Y at store B, stopping by the bank, going to the post office, going to the dry-cleaner, and running other types of errands. Whether such a to-do list is maintained manually or electronically, the user must make an effort to check the list in order to not forget a particular task that needs to be accomplished. Failure to check the to-do list at a particular time and be reminded of the task might cause inefficient management of the user""s time. For instance, a user who is heading to store B might forget to stop by the bank which is on the way to store B. This might cause the user to waste additional time to retrace his or her steps to make the visit to the bank, or forego this task completely. In either case, the user has made ineffective usage of his or her time.
The prior art also fails to provide an effective method to share a to-do list among various individuals. For instance, one family member may have already accomplished a task on the to-do list which a second family member has also set out to accomplish. This again results in ineffective usage of both family members"" times. Either member could have devoted his or her time to a different task on the to-do list.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic system and method for providing an alert when a user is in a pre-defined proximity location to a facility, store, or the like, which has an entry on a to-do list. The reminder allows the user to then accomplish the task at the location. Such system should also maintain track of other users sharing a to-do list item, and notify the other users when the shared to-do list item has been accomplished.
The present invention addresses and alleviates the above-mentioned deficiencies associated with the prior art. More particularly, the present invention comprises a system and method for notifying a user of a to-do list item if the user is detected to be in a particular proximity location to the to-do list item.
In one aspect of the invention, a method for providing electronic notification of a to-do list item includes entering the to-do list to a mobile user terminal. The mobile user terminal includes a global positioning system (GPS) interface allowing the automatic detection of the user""s current position as the user embarks on his or her errands. The mobile terminal periodically compares the current position of the mobile terminal with the performance location of a to-do list item. Electronic notifications are then sent to the user if a proximity criteria of the to-do list item has been satisfied. The user might then send a confirmation that the notification has been received.
The proximity criteria is based on numerous factors, such as the user""s current position, the user""s destination, the route chosen to reach the destination and the like. The proximity criteria may also vary from task to task. If the proximity criteria is based on the user""s current position, the criteria is satisfied if the distance between a detected current location and a performance address is within a pre-determined proximity metric (i.e. one mile, one half mile, or the like).
In another aspect of the invention, a particular to-do list item may be shared by multiple users. In this scenario, one or more user IDs are associated with a to-do list item. Electronic notifications for the item are then sent to all the users with the associated user IDs. When one of these users transmits a confirmation of the notification, an update status message is transmitted to the other users sharing the to-do list item. The update status message changes the status of the to-do list item from xe2x80x9cNot Notifiedxe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9cConfirmed.xe2x80x9d Further notifications of the confirmed item are then transmitted only to the confirming user. The other users sharing the confirmed to-do list item are excluded from receiving further notifications.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the sharing of a to-do list among multiple users is effectuated via a central host computer. In this scenario, the to-do list is entered into the host computer and downloaded to the sharing mobile terminals. A confirmation message from one of the mobile terminals is transmitted to the host computer, and the host computer transmits the update status message to the sharing mobile terminals.
It will be appreciated, therefore, that the present invention allows for efficient time and schedule management for dealing with multiple tasks in a single excursion. With the system""s alert mechanism, users no longer run the risk of forgetting an errand that could have been efficiently been performed during a trip to a destination location.
The present invention also allows a to-do list to be effectively shared among various individuals. By maintaining track of the users sharing a to-do list item and the status of each of the items, the sharing users will know when a particular task has been confirmed or completed.